The Lost Prince
by Shakendra
Summary: In Hermione's 7th year she is givin detention with Draco as her overseer and has to brew him a special potion. But when she decides to change the potion one night, she realizes there is more to Draco's past then she could have ever imagined (chap 10 up)
1. Detention

Disclaimer: I own Draco's awesome sexiness.... I wish. I own nothing.  
  
Hermione awoke to pure darkness. Groggy and uncomfortable, she sat up. She reached up and rubbed her face, noting the long creases imprinted onto her forehead from the folds in her sweater sleeve. The usual scent of perfume which filled the bedroom she shared with the other seventh year female Gryffindors was replaced by the musky, familiar scent of thousands of pages, all filled with knowledge yet to be explored. She lifted her sore body off the library bench and sighed. This is the secound time this week Hermione had fallen asleep in one of the back study rooms of the library. Partivi and Lavender noticed her absences but didn't tell anyone. They simply giggled when she walked into the bedroom with messy hair and ruffled clothing, turning to each other to whisper about "Hermione's mystery man" before curling back up in the sheets of their four post beds.

Hermione let them believe whatever they liked. It didn't affect her at all, and they had plenty good reason to assume as much. Often they would find her gazing off. It got so bad while she was in the common room that she had moved her studys into the library, but obviously that hadn't helped at all. In fact, the girls were not that far off in their assumptions that there was a boy involved, yet Hermione didn't have any urge to set the story straight. She was confused enough about it all.

At the end of their sixth year at Hogwarts, Voldermort made his final attempt to kill Harry once and for all. A great battle ensued, and many people lost their lives. Eventually it came down to Harry and Voldermort, yet Dumbledore realized that Voldermort had grow amazingly in power and the only way to kill him would be to use a very old, ancient magic. The spell required an even trade - the loss of one good soul to destroy one bad. Dumbledore sacrificed his life to save Harry's, and destroyed Voldermort in the process. Ever since, the death eaters had been trying to find a new, powerful leader, but so far nothing had happened.

Many of the people associated with Voldermort then lost interest, as if a spell had been lifted from them after the Dark Lord was defeated. Many of the Slytherins became more civil people, and conflicts between Slytherin and Gryffindor became less frequent. Yet old feelings die hard, and some people never gave up their grudges.

Hermione dragged her tired feet up the stairs to her bedroom and collapsed upon her bed. As much as she tried to force them out, images of the week prior pressed themselves into her mind. Finally she drifted into sleep.

* * *

FLASHBACK

* * *

Draco Malfoy sat in the back of the potions classroom, his feet up on the desk and a smirk on his face. Hermione entered the room and groaned at the sight, not wanting to have to serve her detention with the prat. It was bad enough that this was going to set her back on her history of magic homework, but to have to deal with him? She set down her bag wordlessly and sat down, waiting for the professor to arrive and assign her a job.

"Resting already are we? Don't you think you should be getting to work Granger?" Draco said smugly.

Hermione sighed, and turned around to face him. "Oh and how exactly do you expect me to when the professor isn't here?" Draco simply smirked.  
Hermione glared at the Slytherin, really not in the mood to deal with his additude today. "Shouldn't you be working then as well? Its your detention too."

Draco smiled wider and sat upright in his chair, leaning onto the desk. "You see now that is where you are mistaken. I don't have detention. Do you really think Snape would have given me, his favorite student, a detention?"

Hermione realized he was right, but then what was he doing here? "So why don't you just leave and get out of my hair?"

"Because I promised Professor Snape that I would oversee your detention." Draco continued to smirk. "So I suggest you get to work, or else I may have to tell the good professor that you were not cooperative and that you should be assigned one more, possibly over next weekend's Hogsmeade trip?"

Hermione was furious. Did she seriously have to listen to this twerp? She had half a thought just to walk out of the room, but Draco was right, she didn't want to lose all her nights to detentions. "Fine Malfoy, what do you want me to do?"

"Well," he said, standing, "you can start by brewing this potion." He handed her a piece of parchment with the professor's neat handwriting on it. It was one of the most complicated potions she had ever seen.

"What does he need this for?"

"None of your business. Now start." He gestured to the cauldron in the front of the room. "And get to it, or I might just tell the professor you were wasting time." Hermione hoped he was joking, but didn't want to push him. She needed this week for homework. Reading over the ingredients list, she got to work.

An hour and a half later she stood up and eyed the potion. It was a deep red color, like blood. Creepy as it was, she had measured everything perfectly and it was exactly the color it was supposed to be. At first while she was working on the potion, Draco had been looking over her shoulder, knocking over ingredients "accidentally", and sneering at her. Yet for the last hour or so she had not seen him. She saw him now, his head on his desk, fast asleep.

'Great,' she thought, 'this is my chance to get out of here. I'll just bottle the potion, put it on his desk, and leave before he wakes up.' She did just that, setting the bottle in front of the sleeping Slytherin, and snuck out the door.

* * *

The next day in potions class Harry and Ron were fooling around, playing with a feather that they had charmed to dance. Hermione giggled silently as the feather began to do an odd version of "the robot". There were doing a fairly good job of hiding it from the professor, which ammused the Gryffindors to no end. Yet just as the class was ending Snape caught sight of it doing a swan dive into Ron's bag.

"Potter! Weasley! Granger! My desk, now!" Harry looked at Ron and sighed, and Hermione gathered her books before she approached Snape's desk.

"Yes professor?" Harry asked.

"Potter, Weasley, I understand you seem to think that my class is a time to keep yourselves entertained with immature charms. I do not appreciate dancing feathers in my classroom."

Harry and Ron nodded.

"Twenty points from Gryffindor. The next time I see anything like that, it will be you who is dancing in the front of the class. Understand?" All three of them nodded. "Good, you are dismissed." The Golden Trio turned to leave, but Snape called out again.

"Granger! When exactly do you think you're going?"

Hermione gulped. "Um, Herbology?"

"I never dismissed you. Five points from Gryffindor"

"But..."

"But what?" Snape challenged her, but she said nothing. "Good. Now I hear you only did half your work at last nights detention. You are assigned another tonight. Same time. Maybe this time you can do the entire thing."

"But proffessor!"

Snape simply looked at her, daring her to argue. Silently she picked up her books and left the room.

* * *

* * *

Reveiw! I know its a bit of a slow start, but the plot will pick up quickly. And so will the romance...


	2. Lord Draco

Draco entered the potion's classroom with a limp. During Care of Magical Creatures class that oaf Hagrid had brought in some new creature, half dog, have teenage boy. He had a strange interest in Hermione, howling and giving her bedroom eyes. A lot of jokes came from the Slytherins about Hermione's taste in men, until of course Draco mentioned something about it stealing Potter's girl. The dog-boy took at as a challenge to his new mate, and attacked Draco. No jokes from the Slytherins on that one.  
  
Hermione was already there, looking very upset about having to spend yet another day in detention. 'Get used to it, my little witch, because you'll be here all week' Draco thought to himself. Trying his best to hide his limp as he made his way to Snape's desk, Draco could feel Hermione's eyes on him. Draco turned on his good heel and glared at her. "See something you like?"  
  
"You in pain? Yeah, I am really enjoying it. How about you, see anything _you _like?" Hermione smirked.  
  
"Knowing that I've got you all night, and that I plan to make you do everything perfectly, yes, I am enjoying it." Hermione's smirk disappeared, replaced by a pure look of hatred. 'That's more like it' Draco thought smugly.  
  
"Now," Draco plopped himself into Snape's desk, "You can start by brewing this potion," he tossed a piece of parchment at her, "and then you need to restock and organize the potion's cabinet."  
  
"Is that all?" Hermione opened the parchment and looked at it. It was the same potion as yesterday, but with a slight alteration in the ingredients.  
  
"Maybe. Get to work." Draco sat back in his chair and put his feet up his desk. He watched as Hermione gathered all of her ingredients and started working. He felt a little nervous, knowing how serious it was that she gets this potion exactly correct. For her it only meant another day of detention, but for him, it could mean his life.  
  
When Hermione finally stood in front of the cauldron filled with a deep blood red potion, she sighed. 'Finally' she thought, carefully bottling the potion. She looked over at Draco, and found the he had dozing off again. Seeing her blessing, she went about cleaning the potion cabinet as quietly as she could, hoping not to wake him. It was nice not to have to deal with his constant taunts and glares.  
  
Yet when she finished, Draco was still asleep. She wanted so badly just to turn and leave, but she knew that would only get her another night's detention. She needed to know if there was anything else she had to do. She walked over to Snape's desk and leaned in toward Draco, watching him sleep. This way he looked so fragile, so innocent. Too bad she can't just knock him out permanently. Regretfully she shook him, trying to wake him.  
  
_Draco stood upon a platform. Nearly a hundred men surrounded him, all standing perfectly still in the dark night air, black cloaks hiding their faces from view. One man stood in front of all the rest. Silently he handed Draco a black wand. "It is time to take your place among us, Lord Draco." Draco took the wand wordlessly, holding it in front of him, inspecting it. There was a disturbance in the back of the crowd. Two cloaked figures advanced, dragging a black haired man. They shoved him roughly down at Draco's feet. The same man that had given him the wand spoke again. "Now is your time to prove yourself. Now is the time to take your revenge. Enjoy it, my lord." The man on the ground spit blood at his feet then slowly raised his head. "Please," the man said, his face covered in blood and his lightning shaped scar glowing gently. "Please, don't do this. Please, Draco..._ Draco... wake up you insufferable prick. DRACO!"  
  
Draco jerked awake, nearly falling off his chair. He lashed out to grab something, and caught Hermione's hand. Quickly he regained his balance ad released it, acting disgusted to have touched a mudblood.  
  
"What do you want Granger?"  
  
"To get the hell out of here." Hermione sighed at looked at him oddly. "Are you ok?" Draco looked up at her and was shocked. She actually looked concerned.  
  
"None of your business. Get back to work." Draco didn't like how she was looking at him, or that strange way it was making him feel. He never wanted to look fragile in front of anyone, especially a know-it-all Gryffindor who was always showing him up. The last thing he needed was for her to have leverage on him.  
  
"I'm done. Can I go now?" Draco looked over at the Potion's cabinet. It was spotless, everything was organized and restocked. He couldn't think of anything else for her to do, so he might as well send her back. Plus it was almost midnight. Once he took the potion he would no longer need her around.  
  
"Fine, go ahead. I'm sure your lovely Pothead is dying for you to come climb into his bed. Or maybe the Weasel. Or do they both climb into yours?"  
  
Hermione first looked angry, but then amused. "No, I'm sure they would be too worried about their safety. Apparently I have a protector when it comes to men. But you already know that, don't you Draco?" She glanced at his injured leg before looking back at Draco, a confident smile on her face.  
  
"Oh, so you sleep with the dog-boy, do you? Got a taste for dogs?"  
  
"All men are dogs Draco, and no, I don't have much desire either in my bed." Hermione smirked at Draco's surprised face. "Night Draco. I would love to stick around, but I have someone who is waiting up for me." She smiled again and turned swiftly on her heel, leaving him to stare after her.

* * *

* * *

There is this really cool thing, called a reveiw, and it makes authors feel all good and tingly inside....


	3. The Professor's Choice

Hermione layed in her bed, feeling quite proud. The look on Draco's face was pricless when she left the room. Sure, she had spoken the truth, she had no disire for any man (or dog for that matter) to be in her bed, simply because that would make it very difficult for her to sleep, now wouldn't it? She didn't have any man in mind that she would be willing to sleep next to, since so far no boy around here had made a good enough impression on her to even think about that... right? Something in dark of Hermione's dreams suddenly didn't seem to agree. She fell asleep with images of a certain blond who slept like an angel.

* * *

"Merlin I hate this class." Harry grumbled, dragging his feet toward the potion's classroom.  
  
"Don't we all?" Neville agreed. "We may as well take points away from ourselves to save him the trouble." In their sixth year Neville came back from the summer with two new things - a girlfriend, and a whole new confidence. Yet he could never truly forget all the horror Snape had put him through.  
  
Hermione suddenly remembered something. "Bloddy hell, did you do your essay Neville?" Confidence didn't make you able to remember things, and true to his nature, Neville had the worst memory of any of the Gryffindors. When his face paled, Hermione scrambled to apoligize. "Oh Neville, I'm so sorry! I ment to remind you, I really did, but Snape gave me another detention and Draco kept me there all night and I am so so sorry..."  
  
They followed a large group of Slytherin's into the classroom, Hermione still trying to beg for forgivness.  
  
"Your late! Ten points from Gryffindor!" Snape bellowed. Ron opened his mouth to argue but Harry pushed him to the closest empty seats before he could get them into any more trouble.  
  
Once they were seated, Snape pranced to the front of the room and glared at everyone in it. Well, all the Gryffindors anyway. "Essays to the front." All the students gathered their essays and began to pass them forward. "Anyone without their essay can simply turn it in tomorow. Neville sighed with relife. "Of course, it will be three pages instead of one." Hermione leaned over to Neville, who looked helpless.  
  
"I'll help you." She whispered.  
  
"No you certainly will not, Ms. Granger." The professor snapped. She didn't realize that he could hear her. He walked up to the desk and stared down at them. "And because of your generous offer, his essay will now be five pages. You-" Snape pointed a bony finger at Hermione, "will spend your afternoon in detention so I can be sure that you won't assit him.  
  
Hermione was outraged. She had never deserved to get a detention in the first place, and now she had just gotten her third, and Neville was being punished as well! What was Snape's problem? Usually if he was really upset he would just pick on Harry. Why was she suddenly the center of attention? She could feel Draco looking at her from the back of the room, but refused to turn around and let him see that she was upset. From now on, she was going to tread very carefully.  
  
When Hermione opened the door to the potions classroom her stomach gave out a loud protest. She had skipped both lunch and dinner to help Neville with his potions essay and she was starving. Hopefully Malfoy would arrive soon so she could finish quickly. Possibly she could beg some of her friends for any snacks they might have. She busyed herself with her Herbology homework while she waited.  
  
Thirty minetes later Draco struted into the classroom, tossing a bag on Snape's desk and planting his pround little arse in the large chair.  
  
"What the hell took you so long?" Hermione pointed at the magical hourglass on the desk. "I don't want to stay here any longer then I have to."  
  
"Understood, sorry. Here, you know the drill." Draco handed a peice of parchment to a suprised Hermione. She certainly hadn't expected that kind of calm, civil reaction out of him. Breaking her eyes away, she looked at the now familiar potion list. Once again it had a few slight adjustments, but it was mostly the same. She sighed and got to work.  
  
Draco watched her as she worked, thoughtfull. On the first day Draco had simply loved to torcher her, but as time went on her began to he mesmerized by how she worked. Every movement she made was graceful, and her concentration never wavered. It almost seemed like the world directly around her froze ad she poured herself into her project. Now he understood why Snape had chosen her. She would get this potion exact.

* * *

FLASHBACK

* * *

"Why can't you just brew it yourself? You're the potion's master." Draco whined. "What if they get it wrong?" Snape continued pacing around his classroom, preparing for the next day.  
  
"Because," Snape answered, "it would be far too obvious. There are people even here that place their loyalty with the Dark Lord's followers. They will be watching me as well as you. If you are simply overseeing detentions for me, its not as apparent that you are getting the Detraference Potion." Snape gathered his things and walked into his office, Draco trailing behind. He pointed his wand at the fireplace and flames erupted from it. Draco blinked quickly from the heat before seating himself next to the Professor in front to the fire.  
  
"But wouldn't it seem weird that you chose me out of everyone else to oversee a detention?" He asked hesitantly.  
  
At this Snape smirked, which is a close as Draco assumed he could get to a smile. "Not at all. You are my favorite, and it would seem normal for me to assign you to this preticular student. You see, I chose a student who I am positive will get your potion correct. She always has to get everything prefect, that Hermione Granger."  
  
Suddenly Draco was greatly looking forward to the nightly detentions.

* * *

Draco was indeed enjoying these detentions, but for a far different reason then he had expected. He thought tormenting Potter's girlfriend would be the most grand of entertainments, but finally seeing her outside the shadow of the Golden Trio put her into a new, interesting light. Also, since the discovery that she might not actually be sleeping with Scarface or his sidekick, he didn't know exactly what to think of her.  
  
A small sound broke Draco away from his thoughts. He looked up at Hermione, who looked distracted but trying to hide it. The sound came again.  
  
"What is that?" Draco watched Hermione turn red. Absent mindedly she put her hand over her stomach.  
  
"I didn't get to eat, alright?" Hermione grumbled.  
  
"Well damn, you should have said something." Draco reached into his bag and began to pull out its contents, placing them in front of him. Soon they were both looking at a feast, complete with chicken, bread, sandwiches, fruit, and a few bottles of butterbeer.  
  
Hermione's mouth watered. "How did you get all this food?"  
  
Draco ginned at her wide eyes. "I had a house elf once that I got along with fairly well. He works in the Hogwart's kitchens now. He gives me leftover food that they have around."  
  
'By the looks of it,' Hermione thought, 'Dobby gave him all the leftovers.'  
  
"Go ahead, eat." Draco invited, kicking out a chair from the other side of the desk, "You must be starving."  
  
She looked at the couldron in front of her, wondering if she could neglect it at all. The potion had to boil for a while, and as long as she remembered to add in the roots every five minetes, she would be fine, Gladly she sat down to eat.  
  
After some light conversation and alot of food, Hermione began to wonder why Draco was being so nice to her. He usually was such an ass that this new side of him was almost... frightening. When he was being a jerk she knew what to expect. Now she had no idea what might be coming. She looked up at him and smiled. "Hey um.. thanks. This is really nice of you."  
  
Draco faultered. Why is she looking at me like that? She has never looked at me like that. "Well, I um... its nothing really. I get food all the time, like every night, so yeah, no problem..." The truth was, and Draco knew it, that he had atually paid a special trip to the kitchens and got all the food he thought she would like. He hadn't seen her at lunch or dinner and knew she would be starving. But her had forgotten all about the food while he watched her work. But now... her eyes were so warm, so kind...  
  
They finished eating in silence, then Hermione went back to her potion. When she finished, she bottled it and set it in front of Draco. She was still looking at him like.. like.. 'Like she doesn't hate me' Draco thought. 'Why is this affecting me so much?'  
  
"Hey, what is this potion for, anyway? Its really complicated."  
  
Draco saw his chance. If he could get her to hate him again, to be compleatly discusted with him, his insides would stop flipping over every time she looked at him. He thought fast.  
  
"Its so I don't spill myself every time I fuck a mudblood. The Malfoy seed is sacred, you know, and shouldn't be wasted on trash. Plus, I don't want some crazy girl to try and get pregnent so she can try to marry into the family. Can't have that happen, now can we?" Draco smirked.  
  
"You asshole! You made me sit here and brew this fucking potion for you? Go to hell." She took his half full bottle of butterbeer and dumped it on his head, then stormed out of the room.  
  
Covered in butterbeer, Draco watched her go. A part of him felt bad about what he had said, but at least she was mad at him again. Thats what he wanted, wasn't it?  
  
Suddenly Draco wasn't so sure.

* * *

* * *

Reveiw! :)  
  
I am SO SORRY this chapter took so long for me to put up. My family and I took a trip to russia for two weeks and they don't have any cheap internet there! So I had to just write all this down on the airplane in a notebook. I PROMISE the next chapter will come out sooner. And the bigger plot will pick up soon. Very soon.  
  
Doesn't matter whether you liked it or not, just reveiw and tell me what you think!  
  
I LOVE MY REVEIWERS!


	4. Revenge

Hermione smiled as she walked down to the greenhouses for Herbology. She had been a perfect, silent angel in potions. The whole class period Snape watched her like a hawk, but he had no excuse to give her detention. She was not going to lose any more of her evenings to have to deal with that asshole Draco. 'I was so stupid.' she thought to herself. 'To think he might have actually started to be a nice person. Bullshit.' The night before she had been so mad at his comment that by the time she arrived back in the common room her face was red and her hands hurt from being clenched.  
  
"Merlin, Hermione, what on earth is wrong?" Ginny asked, rushing up to her friend.  
  
"That bastard! That asshole!"  
  
"Hermione, hunny, what happened?" Ginny led Hermione over to the couch and sat her down as her friend repeated Malfoy's final statment. When she was done Ginny was fuming as well. "We have to do something to him. To get back at him. Something he won't expect."  
  
"But what?"  
  
"I don't know, but we have to. We just have to!" Both girls went to bed planning their revenge,  
  
Now Hermione was quite a bit more relaxed, but she still hoped to find a way to get back at him. She was going to talk to Ginny at lunch and find out if she had come up with anything.  
  
Just as she passed a corner into a small hallway that opened into the enterence hall two strong hands pulled her back and forced her against the wall. Hermione's back hit the stones hard, but a hand caught her head and pulled her into a deep, forcefull kiss. She found herself sinking into the kiss, the shear intoxicating taste of it taking her over. But realitly quickly caught up with her and Hermione shoved her attacker hard. A sleek, strong boy stepped backwards, his long blond hair sweeping in front of his eyes.  
  
"Malfoy! What the fuck?" Hermione screamed.  
  
The boy smiled wide, wiping off his lips. "I told you, it's safe for me to fuck your kind."  
  
'Thats it!' Hermione had had enough of this bastard. Quickly she pulled out her wand and pointed it directly at his face. Pulling her favorite curse out of the back of her mind, she opened here mouth and -  
  
"HERMIONE GRANGER!" A voice bellowed. Snape was glaring at her from the top of the staircase. "No magic in the hallways! Detention!"  
  
"Professor!" Hermione gasped. "Draco grabbed me and -"  
  
"Enough!" Snape barked, turning to leave the way he came.  
  
"THATS NOT FAIR!" Hermione suprised herself. Did she just yell at a professor?  
  
"Excuse me?" Snape challenged. Aparently she had. "And detention for Friday as well. One more word out of you, Ms. Granger, and you will be missing your Hogsmeade trip this weekend." Silently Snape turned, his cloak bollowing out behind him as he disapeared around a corner. 'I can't belive this.' Hermione turned to Draco, but he was nowhere to be seen.

* * *

"Ginny!" Hermione cried when her friend entered the Great Hall for lunch. Ginny looked up, saw her, and ran over to where she was seated.  
  
"Yeah Hermione? What is it?" Ginny sat down and pulled the plate of potatoes toward her, grabbing one.  
  
Hermione looked down at her food. unable to touch any of it. She was far too upset. "That prick got me two more detentions!"  
  
"What? Draco?" Hermione nodded. "How?"  
  
"He grabbed me in the hallway and kissed me! Then when I tired to hex him Snape came around the corner and gave me two detentions!"  
  
"No way! He kissed you?" Ginny gasped.  
  
"We have to get revenge now. There has to be SOMETHING we can do."  
  
"Well, yeah, but, he kissed you?" Ginnay asked again.  
  
"Yes, he did!"  
  
"... was it any good?"  
  
"Ginny!"  
  
"Well sorry!" She smiled. "Its just that Draco never really kisses anybody. Alot of girls claim to have been with him but slip a little truth or dare candy in them and no one really ever has." Truth or Dare candys were one of George and Fred's new inventions. One was red, and one was blue. When you chose "truth" you took a red pill and had to answer one question truthfully, or the word "liar" was written across your forhead for the next 24 hours. When you took the blue pill you had to do whatever the dare was or the word "chicken" was writen across your forhead for the next 24 hours. There was no way to cover them up. They put a whole new twist on the game, and were very popular.  
  
"Well, I would never consider how good a kiss from a bastard like him was, so don't even ask."  
  
"It was good, wasn't it?"  
  
"Can we please just think about revenge here?" Hermione stuffed a chicken leg in her mouth.  
  
Ginny smiled. "Sure thing." Hermione hated how her best friend could see right through her. As much as she denied it, she couldn't help but remember how strong his arms were, how seak and toned his body had felt next to hers, how he smelled so nicly of cinnimon. Confused, Hermione shoved more food in her mouth, trying to think of something else.

* * *

Hermione walked into the potion's room that night, a smile spead wide across her face. A small peice of parchment was hidden in the palm of her hand, with the ingredients for a potion scrawled across them. Revenge was sweet.  
  
She and Ginny had dug though book after book in the library for a potion with the same color, close to the same brewing time, and somewhat same ingredients as the potion Hermione always had to brew. Finally they found one, and it was perfect. She didn't have to wait long for Draco to arrive. He simply looked at, smiled, and tossed a peice of parchemnt at her. Tehn he sat at the desk and pulled out a book.  
  
"What, you read?" Hermione teased. "Didn't think you knew how."  
  
Draco just smiled and turned the book so she could see the title. _Malfoy Code of Conduct_. "I have a ball next week. I need to read up on my behavior policies."  
  
Hermione was suprised. The Malfoy's had partys? Well, no matter, there was other buisness at hand. Smiling again, Hermione went to the potion's cabinet to gather her ingredients. Happily she started to brew her potion, Draco's potion list forgotten, crumpled up in her pocket.  
  
"Here you are, enjoy it, you ass." Hermione handed the blood red potion to him.  
  
Draco smiled disheartedly and uncorked it, gulping the whole thing down. "You can go." He said quietly.  
  
"Good." Hermione picked up her books and left. She felt so proud... but then why was there something inside of her, telling her she had done something terribly wrong?

* * *

* * *

What is in the potion? What is going to happen to Draco now that he doesn't have his potion? Will they ever get along? And why are there bite marks in my phone?

Oy, my dog tried to eat my phone. Its lovely, really.

Don't be afraid to reveiw on every chapter! Reveiw reveiw reveiw! I love you all!


	5. Purple

The next day Draco wasn't at breakfast. Hermione and Ginny giggled to themselves, feeling very proud. He was probobly too embaressed to show himself. But when it came time for Potions, whispers were begining to spread. Late last night a student had been rushed to the hospital wing. Snape had been up all night making a potion, and he was very crabby. People began to wonder if the student was Draco Malfoy, since he had not shown up for a single class.  
  
Hermione chatted with her best friends while heading down to the dungeons. Harry and Ron were having a heated descussion about the upcoming Quidditch game when they were stopped by a crowd of kids waiting outside the potions classroom. The door was locked.  
  
"Whats going on?" A Slytherin asked her friend.  
  
"I don't know, I guess the professor isn't here yet." She responded.  
  
Quick, heavy footsteps echoed off the stone walls, and Snapes tall figure came into veiw. He stood at teh top of the staircase and glanced over the kids, looking for someone.  
  
"Class is canceled for today. One page essay on color changing potions." His eyes locked on the student he had been searching for. Hermione. "You -" he said, pointing at her. "You come with me." He turned around, his cloak flowing behind him, and left the way he came. Shooting a worried glance at ehr friends, Hermione ran after him.  
  
The walked for quite a while, Snape's long stride making Hermion have to almost run to keep up with him. After a while Hermine realized they were headed to the hospital wing. About 100 feet from the hospital wing door, Snape stopped short. Hermione stopped quickly and looked at the ground. So far he had been compleatly silent. Was he going to say something now?  
  
"I thought you were smarter than this, Granger." He said quietly.  
  
Hermione didn't know what to say. Smarter than what? And this was so strange. Snape didn't scream, or take away points, or anything. He mostly looked... helpless. Scared.  
  
"I'm sorry sir, but I don't understand." Hermione said quietly, still staring at the stone floor.  
  
"You are the smartest student in the school. You want to know everything. You figure out everything. Didn't you think it was odd you were suddenly getting detentions? That Draco was watching over them? That all you had to do was make a potion for him?" Snape turned to her slowly. "I thought for sure you would look up the potion. Find out what was going on. Realize what you were doing. Find out why it was important. It was right in front of your face. Why? Why didn't you?"  
  
"I... I don't know professor. I was just so mad at Malfoy. I don't know what is going on. He said that the potion was.. was for... um..." Hermione blushed.  
  
"You don't have to say, he told me. Stupid boy."  
  
Hermione was suprised. Snape just called Draco stupid! Everything was so weird. Why did everything have to be so confusing? "Please sir, tell me whats going on. What was the potion really for?"  
  
Sanpe sighed. He looked so tired. Quickly he threw up a silencing spell around them.  
  
"Young Malfoy does not have a normal family. I will let him explain the details, but he is in grave danger. The followers of the Dark Lord need a new leader, as I am sure you know. They want Draco. The Detraference Potion keeps him safe from their power. Without it..." Snape glanced over at the door. "Without it, the effects can be deadly."  
  
Hermione was shocked. She had no idea what to say. They wanted Draco as their leader? Grave danger? And she had screwed it up so badly, just because she was mad at him. "May I-"  
  
Snape cut her off. "It is not my buisness to tell you about his personal life. You should hear it from him. He is expecting you." Snape took down the silencing spell and walked back downstairs.  
  
Hermione stared at the wooden door ahead of her. There were so many questions she had, yet she didn't know what to say. Slowly she comanded her feet to move, and she made her way to the door. Stepping into the room, she glanced around. A single bed on the far end had curtains pulled around it. She silently stepped into the curtains and glanced at the sleeping boy.  
  
Even with how serious the situation was she couldn't supress a small giggle. A deep contrast to his platinum blonde hiar, his skin shone a radient purple. No wonder the essay tonight was on color changing potions. Ginny and Hermione had found the perfect potion - one to make his skin turn purple for a day. The boy stirred.  
  
"Hermione?" Draco opened his eyes slowly.  
  
"I'm here." She sat down in the chair next to his bed.  
  
Draco grunted and sat up slowly. The blanket fell away to reveal his toned, smooth, purple chest. Somehow Hermione was still attracted.  
"I supposed you want some explainations." Hermione nodded in responce. "Alright, where do I start?"  
  
"Professor Snape said that your family was different. Start there."  
  
Draco looked at her thoughtfully and nodded. "Alright, family it is. My father is a bastard, he always has been. I didn't realize it until our 4th year when Voldemort came back. I always looked up to him, and belived everything he said. But when the Dark Lord returned, I began to see what an asshole he really was. He would torcher people in our own basement. But I found out that my father had made a deal with Voldemort. My mother, Narcissa, actually dated Lupin for a while. She was Sirius's cousin and was good friends his friends. My father was jelous. He made a deal with Voldemort. If Voldemort would put an extreamly powerfull Imperius Curse on my mother, and make her belong to him, he would..."  
  
Hermione watched as Draco breathed deeply. As his chest rose and fell, he closed his eyes. Obviously this still troubled him deeply. finally opening them again, he stared at his feet.  
  
"He would give his first born son to Voldemort. The night I was born, that is just what he did. Voldemort made me his heir, and planned to raise me as such. But soon afterwords Potter sent him off into hideing. I was given back to my parents for them to raise me. When Voldemort came back, he said that I was weak, aand unfit to be his son. My father beat me nightly for it. But Voldemort wanted to use me for as spy in Hogwarts. I was supposed to relay information to him. Hoping to keep his interest elsewhere, I gave him little, almost useless facts, acting as if it was all that I could discover. I'm ashamed to say that I might have had a part in killing my mother's cousin. I didn't think it would mean anything to tell him that Sirus was Harry's godfather, and that Harry loved him. Once Sirus died, I tried my best to get out. Voldemort once again said that I was useless, and my father tried to teach me a lesson for it.  
  
One evening he was beating me terribly, when my mother came into the room. Usually she just ignored it, but tonight she asked my father to stop. He screamed at her, and she took out her wand and killed him. When the ministry came, she told them that Death Eaters had entered her house and killed him. She said they had taken her wand and cast the spell to blame it on her. She said that I had fough the Death Eaters, and showed tem my bruises and cuts. They belived her, and let us go.  
  
After that it seemed like Voldemort was far too concentrated on Potter to worry about me. He thought he could never die, and therefor an heir was usless. I lived in peace with my mother for some time after that."  
  
"Why did your mother attack your father?" Hermione asked.  
  
"Oh, sorry. The Imperius Curse faded after 18 years. I guess my father had forgotten that the curse was placed on her before I was born, because he was just planning to ask the Lord to renew it when I turned 18 and was made a Death Eater."  
  
Hermione looked and the blonde (and purple) boy sitting in front of her. He suddenly didn't look like the asshole that he had always been, but instead like an innocent, scared little boy, needing love. Absent mindedly Hermione reached out and held his hand. "Please, go on."  
  
Draco didn't react to her at all for a secound, then continued his story. "When the Dark Lord was defeated, the Death Eaters found me, and comanded me to become their leader, since I was the heir of Voldemort. They would not take no far an answer. They started to haunt my dreams and followed me everywhere. After a few months they became extreamly impatient. I went off to Hogwarts and they were unable to follow me anymore. But they put a curse on me. When they can find me, they put the fury of Voldemort on me. He would always beat his follers terribly if they did not comply with his commands. So every night I feel the wounds of hundreds of men being torchered. The more I ignore it, the worse it gets. The Detraference Potion makes it so they can not find me. There is just a haze whenever they look for me. for weeks now Snape has been brewing it for me, but people have begun to notice his nightly activites. He hoped that by transfering the job to you, you would figure out what was going on and make the potion instead. I kinda screwed that up though, by lieing to you like that."  
  
"I'm so sorry I didn't look it up Draco. I can't belive what this did to you. I can't belive it. I just wanted to get back at you. Please forgive me,-"  
  
Draco raised his hand to silence her. "No, please, it ok. It..." Draco stumbled over his words. "It was really, I mean, I shouldn't have, um, I just wanted to, you were looking at me and I, I dont know I just..." Draco looked up into Hermione's eyes. "I didn't want you to look at me like that."  
  
Hermione didn't know what to think. A million things ran through her head at once. "Like how?"  
  
"Like you are right now." Draco looked back down at his feet. "Like you care."  
  
"But why?" Hermine asked.  
  
"Because all I wanted to do was this." And for the second time this week, Draco kissed her. But instead of a rough, passionate kiss, this kiss was gentle and needy. Hermione found herself leaning into him, her lips softly brushing his. He licked her lips lightly, and she let him enter her mouth. Their tounges danced around each other as Draco pulled her onto the hospital bed next to him. He wrapped his arm around her back and pulled her close. She reached up to run her fingers through his hair, then trailed them down his back. Draco pulled away quickly, yelping in pain.  
  
"What? What happened?" Hermione asked, worried. Why had he pulled away from the most magical thing that had ever happened to her? "Are you alright?"  
  
Draco sat up slightly, and turned his back on her. 'He hatse me!' She tought immedietly. But then she saw his back. It had deep gashes all over it, some of them old, deep scars, and other new and blood red. She had touched a perticularily large one running from his shoulder blade to his lower back, then back up to his other shoulder blade to create a perfect "V". Hermione couldn't belive what she was seeing. He obviously not only felt the tourcher, but actually recived the wounds. All because she had been upset about something he said. Instictivly she reached and and hugged him, careful not to brush against his back at all. "I'm so sorry." She whispered. The purple skinned boy just held her back, held her so tightly that she thought he might never let go. They both drifted off to sleep in the hospital wing bed, holding each other like their lives depended on it.

* * *

* * *

Reveiw!  
  
Please please reveiw! Good, bad, long or short, just please reveiw! I love all of you!  
  
Dracolov, Sillylittlepinkbug, Agey, nitric-hamster, Snakeyes, apolitiner, oreo69not69, dracosbaby4eva, Mikasa Wormhole, Indyxx, Steffi-weffi16, AmericanGirl1114m reginatenae, and The Pirate Erin all rock! I love you all SO MUCH. I promise PROMISE after this final week in Colorado I will update SO MUCH faster. I just started this story before the busyest time in my summer. But soon school starts, and I will be home alot more!  
  
ohhhhh the plot thickends... dude, she is kissing a purple kid.  
  
Next Chapter: More romance and a centar plays a guessing game  
  
Black satin boxers anyone? You know you want it...


	6. Misunderstood

Hermione woke up alone in the hospital bed. She wondered breifly why she was there, but as the memory of what had happened came back to her she reached up to touch her mouth. It tasted ever so slightly of cinnimon. She stood quickly and glanced around the room for the boy who's taste was still on her lips. The sun had begun to set, and Hermione's stomache rumbled. The hourglass on the far wall said it was just a few minetes before she was supposed to serve her detention. 'I'm going to have to serve alot more after missing all of today's classes.' she thought, sighing.

She worked her way down to the Potion's classroom, all the while thinking about everything Draco had told her. How did it come to this? She hated Draco for so long, and he hated her. But they only knew each other from a distance. Now they had gotten to know each other a little, and already Hermione knew all of Draco's darkest secrets, and already they had had more passion between them then Hermione had ever felt before.  
  
She entered the potions classroom to find it empty. On the desk was a list of ingredients with a scribbled note on the bottom.  
  
_You know what to do. See you soon.  
  
- Draco_  
  
Hermione got to work brewing the potion, being extreamly careful about makeing sure every measurement was correct.

* * *

Draco was pacing. A little after dinner he had woken up in the hospital wing, with Hermione in his arms. He didn't have any clue what he was suposed to do, so he left her there and bolted. Madame Proffey had told him he could leave wherever he felt like it, as long as it was after noon. Now he felt like it, because as much as he didn't want to admit it, he was terrified. He had never felt this way about anyone, and now suddenly it happends, and it is the one girl he has always hated. He went all the way to the Slytherin common room and burst into the seventh year boy's dorms. The two boys inside ran out when they saw the look on Draco's face. Now he had the room to himself, and he paced.

* * *

Hermione heard the door creek open behind her. She turned to see Draco, who was now back to his normal color.  
  
"I thought the potion was supposed to last for 24 hours. Why are you back to normal?" She asked.  
  
"I just used a color extracting potion to suck the purple dye from my skin. I am actually quite skilled with potions." Draco shut the door behind him and looked directly at her. His silver eyes sparkled in the candlelight. Hermione felt her knees weaken. Draco noticed this and smiled slighty. In one fluid motion he crossed the room, gathered her into his arms, and kissed her. Hermione's head tilted back as he pressed her up against a desk. Quickly breaking from the kiss, Draco picked Hermione up and sat her on the desk, before resuming his attack. His lips traveled slowly, starting at her lips and moving down to her neck.  
  
"Dra... oh god.. Draco.. Draco, what are we doing?"  
  
Draco pulled away slowly, looking her directly in the eye. "We can't keep having you get detentions. But this potion needs to be made." He touched her face lightly. "I'm so sorry I dragged you into all of this, but we need a reason for you to disappear every night, and some reason to see me. Last night's attack only happened for about an hour, and it was still the worst of them all. If Snape had not found me..." Draco sighed. "The Death Eaters would rather have me dead then have me betray them."  
  
"Draco, I am so sorry." Hermione looked toward the floor. "I shouldn't have-"  
  
Draco grasped her chin and turned her face to look at him. "No, don't blame yourself. You have no guilt here. None of this was your fault. I dragged you into this."  
  
"No, Voldemort did. He and his followers." Hermione smiled at him. "You are as sinless as me." Draco smiled back at her. "Okay, I agree that we need a plan. Got any ideas? You are the Slytherin. You are supposed to now how the manipulate people."  
  
"Thank you _ever_ so much. But being me, I do have a plan. I don't know how convincing we would be, but concidering our actions today I think we could pull it off. Then again Potty and Weasal might get in the way..." Draco trailed off.  
  
"Draco, what is it?" Hermione asked.  
  
Draco hesitated, then blurted out the words that had been stuck in the back of his throat all day. "Will you be my girlfriend? Then you could see me at any time and it wouldn't be weird, and if you disappered for a while everyone would just think we were snogging or something-"  
  
"Wait, is this why you kissed me? And all that shit about how you felt, all of it was bullshit. Merlin, I should have known. I would prefer detantions, thank you very much, over being used." Hermione shoved him away.  
  
"No! Hermione, please." Draco reached for her but she slapped his hand away and glared.  
  
"Don't touch me. I'll make your potion, but don't expect to get laid as a bonus."  
  
"Hermione, thats not what I ment. Please, belive me. I really want you to-"  
  
"Oh shove it Malfoy." Draco flinched as she used his surname. "I can't belive I fell for this shit." Hermione spun on her foot and marched up to the cauldron, muttering to herself and she began to chop her roots into small even chunks. Draco mentally slapped himself. How could he have done this so wrong?  
  
Hermione was furious. How had she ever belived him? What a bastard! She continued to grumble to herself when she felt a soft hand grasp hers. She jerked away but he held on, grasping her other hand as well. The knife fell to the ground.  
  
"Let me go!" Hermione tried her best to pull away, but he was just too strong. Draco wrapped his arms around her, pining her hands behind her back. His cheek brushed against hers as he resisted Hermione's attempts to free herself. "Damnit Malfoy let go!"  
  
"Not until you listen. Please, don't strugle, I don't want you to hurt yourself. I just want you to hear me out." Draco felt her relax just slightly. Resting his head on her shoulder, he breathed in her scent. She smelled like roses. "Please, I know you have no reason to, but I need you to trust me. I am probably doing this all wrong, but this has never happened to me before. I've never... cared about anyone. I don't have any idea what I am feeling, but I want to get to know you. Find out what you enjoy. Learn about you. I didn't think you would let me be around you, so I thought if we were to pretend to be a couple for the sake of the potion, then maybe..."  
  
Hermione realized that Draco had released her hands and was now just holding her, resting his head on her shoulder. He probably didn't even realize it. Yet she had no urge to push him away. "Maybe what?"  
  
Draco breathed in deeply. "Maybe you would let me get to know you. Learn to trust me a little. Then if by some grace you wanted to be with me, it wouldn't be that weird, because we had acted like it for so long anyway." For a while they stood there in silence, frozen. Neither of them knew what to say. Slowly Draco pulled away, his eyes focused on anything but her face. He made his way to the door, never saying a word. As the heavy wood fell shut behind him, Hermione sighed.

* * *

Draco gazed up at the heavens. It was a clear night, every star shinning perfectly in its own brilliance. If only his head was that clear. A million thoughts spun through his head, mixing together into one overpowering message. 'You fucked up.' Draco truly didn't know what to do from here. A shooting star shot across the sky, and Draco wished he could grasp it, hold onto it as it took him far, far away from here.  
  
He didn't know how long he had been in the Astronomy Tower, but it didn't seem to matter. Below he could see the forbidden forest stretch out before him. The trees looked dark and alive. He shuddred at the memory of a certain detention once served in that forest.

A centar stood on the edge of the forest, staring up at the castle. Draco watched him for a moment, then realized something. The centar was not looking at the castle, it was looking at him. Not knowing what to do he waved lazily. The centar pointed to the moon, then back at Draco. Seeing that Draco did not understand, he picked a stick up off the ground and began slashing it through the air like a whip. Draco just stared. 'Is this centar going mental? I guess I would too if I lived in that freaken' forest.' The centar tossed the stick to the ground and started making motions like he was drinking something. Draco continued to stare, until it hit him. Terror filled Draco as he realized the centar's message. The potion! It was well into the witching hours, and Draco still hadn't taken it. Within less than an hour the cloaking effects would wear off, and the attacks would begin. Draco bolted from the tower, running as fast as he could to the dungeons, which were well on the other side of the castle. As he dashed past the Great Hall he felt a burning sensation begin in his neck. He ran faster.

* * *

Hermione sat with her back against the wall in the front of the potion's classroom. After Draco left she had finished the potion and waited for him to return, but he hadn't. After a while she had fallen asleep on the hard floor. She woke up now to the sounds of a clock chiming, proclaiming that it was a new day. A loud cry of pain broke the quiet night, followed by the sound of something tumbling down the stairs and landing outside the potions room door. Hermione ran to the door and threw it open.  
  
Lying before her was a mass of black robes and blonde hair. Hermione quickly nelt beside the body, gently pushing him onto his back. The boy's face was pale, even more pale then he was usually, and he breathing was rapid and uneven. Hermione ran back into the classroom to retrive the potion. She knelt down next to him and parted his lips. His forhead was sweating. She poured a bit of the potion into his mouth, but he spat it back out at her and coughed.  
  
"Draco, wake up, please, you have to drink this." Draco's eyes fluttered slightly, then opened. Hermione was shocked to see the pain that filled them. "Please, drink." She brought the potion to his lips again, and this time he drank it thankfully. When he was finished she tossed the vial aside and held the trembling young man. Slowly his breathing calmed and he relaxed in her arms.  
  
"Come on, lets get you to the hospital wing." Hermione whispered softly.  
  
"No, no, its alright. I just need to rest." Draco stirred slightly, then compleatly relaxed, his body currling up next to her, his arm around her waist. Hermione watched him fall asleep as she stroked his soft hair. Eventually she streatched out beside him, waiting for him wake so she could help him to the Slytherin common room before returning to her own bed.

* * *

* * *

I _LOVE _my reveiwers, I just _LOVE_ my reveiwers! What _WONDERFUL_ people, they're _READING_ my story. I'm _WRITING_ all proud, and I'm _SINGING_ all loud, I just _LOVE_ my, _LOVE_ my reveiwers!

Taking into account the load protests from my brother in the other room, maybe I should stick to writing fanfics instead of coming up with different versions of "singing in the rain."


	7. Secret Message

* * *

"Well, good morning Ms. Granger."  
  
Hermione stirred, her body sore. Opening her eyes, she saw a very amused Professor Snape looking down at her. Hermione glanced around her, noticing the stone walls that most defenitly did not belong to her dorm room. She had fallen asleep in the middle of the hallway!  
  
"Professor, I-"  
  
"No need." Snape cut her off. "Consider yourself lucky that I wake early to prepare for the day. If the students found you in this comprimising position, there would be talk." Hermione sat up and felt Draco's arm slip off of her body. He was next to her, still sound asleep.  
  
"Thsi isn't what it looks like. He came late last night and I-"  
  
"I said, no need to explain Ms. Granger." Snape pulled out his wand and pointed at the sleeping boy. "I will take him back to his dormitory. You should head to bed."  
  
"Of course sir." Hermione stood and brushed herself off. She watched as Snape cast a levitation charm on Draco.  
  
Snape began to walk down stairs, heading to the Slytherin common room. "Go to bed Ms. Granger. You have Hogsmead today, remember?"  
  
"Of course professor. Goodbye." Hermione made her way to the Gryffindor common room and slept.

* * *

"Oh! Oh Hermione, look at this!" Ginny squealed, jumping and pointing in the window of a shop. Hermione jogged over to her excited friend. "Oh 'Mione, aren't they beautiful? We just have to try them on!"  
  
"But Ginny, what do we need formal dresses for?" Hermione asked, smiling.  
  
"Who knows? Isn't here a school dance coming up? Like, Halloween?"  
  
"Ginny, people go in costume to Halloween, not in formal."  
  
"So what? So we go dressed as sex goddesses. Let's just try them on!" Ginny grabbed her friend's wrist and dragged her into the store and up to the nearest dress rack. "Oh my gosh, 'Mione! What about this one! What do you think?"  
  
"Oh Ginny that would look amazing on you!" Hermione smiled as her friend twirled around, holding a dark green dress against her body. "It compleatly brings out your red hair."  
  
"I've got to try it on!" Ginny ran into the dressing room, giggling like mad. Hermione laughed and continued searching through the dresses. The fabric was so silky, it was like water in her fingers. Each dress was ordimented with sparkles, gems, or ribbons of the finest quality. Hermione couldn't even imagine how much they cost.  
  
"I'm ready!!!" Ginny called out.  
  
"Ready for what?" A voice behind her asked. Hermione spun around to see Harry and Ron standing behind her. Their hands were full of bags filled with every kind of candy and toy that the twins' shop had to offer. "What are you guys doing?"  
  
"We're trying on dresses, and Ginny just got done putting one on." Hermione responded. "Did you guys finish your shopping already?"  
  
"Yeah." Ron nodded. "Hey Ginny, come on out. Lets have a look at you."  
  
The door to the dressing room opened slowly to reveal a most spendid beauty. Ginny stepped lightly, coming out a little ways and twirling. Ron looked suprised, and Harry's eyes were wide. Hermione laughed as Harry's jaw dropped a little. Ginny smiled, giggling at Harry's reaction.  
  
"You like?" She asked.  
  
"Wow Ginny." Ron commented. "I'm gunna have to start beating alot of boys off of you from now on."  
  
"Uh-huh." Harry agreed. Ron glaced at him and saw the look on his face.  
  
"Um, Harry? Can I talk to you for a moment?" Ron grabbed his friend's arm and led him the the back of the store. A very energetic conversation followed. The girls could here a word here or there, like "hurt", "warning", "happy", and "castration".  
  
Hermione gushed over Ginny's dress, telling her how beautiful she looked, and joking about Harry's reaction.  
  
"You think he really liked it?" Ginny blushed.  
  
"Did he like it? Ginny, he may as well have drooled all over the floor. He's totally smitten."  
  
"Merlin, I hope so! So, found a dress for you to try on yet?" Ginny began digging through the rack, pausing every once in a while to examine a dress.  
  
"Naw, I can't find any that I think I would look good in."  
  
"Oh hush, you would look fantastic in all of these." Ginny pulled a dress out from the rack. "But this one, now, this one would be drop dead sexy."  
  
Hermione gasped. The dress was black with lace sleeves that flared out at the ends. The bottom of the dress had slits in the sides with the same black lace filling them. The top was strapless. Without a word she grabbed it and dashed into the dressing room. As she slid it onto her body she couldn't belive how smooth it was. She felt like a goddess. Ginny called out for her to come and show it off.  
  
Opening the door and tiptoing out, Hermione spun in glee. She loved the reactions her friends gave her. Ron stared, Harry clapped, and Ginny screamed in joy. But the reaction that really affected her was the face on the other side of the window. She felt her heart skip a beat as the blonde boy outside gazed through the window, his silver eyes filled with desire. He stared for a moment longer before tearing his eyes away and quickly turning the corner.  
  
"Hermione?" Harry asked, having followed her gaze and seen the boy, "Why was Draco staring at you?"  
  
"He was probobly looking at something else in the shop." Ginny answered. She looked directly at Hermione and gave her a look that said 'We need to talk.' Hermione just smiled, her stomach still doing flips.

* * *

The four of them shopped for a while longer before Harry and Ron split off to go look at Quidditch supplies, promising to meet up with the girls at Three Broomsticks. Ginny and Hermione found a table and ordered four butterbeers. After the waiter left Ginny faced Hermione and cocked an eyebrow.  
  
"So, what the hell was that?" She demanded.  
  
"What?" Hermone responded.  
  
"You know what. You never told me that anything else happened with him." Ginny crossed her arms and sat back.  
  
"I don't know what you are talking about Ginny." Hermione stared out that window, trying not to look at her friend. "I'm going to go order an ice cream. I'll be right back." Hermione stood up and went to the counter. Leaning against it, she felt a hand brush her arm. Draco leaned up against the counter a little ways away, as not to look suspious. Yet resting against her arm was a folded peice of paper. Hermione picked it up and shoved it in her pocket, hoping Ginny hadn't noticed.  
  
"Can I help you madame?" The bartender asked polietly.  
  
"Yes, um, where is your restroom?"  
  
"Just down that hallway and to the left."  
  
"Thanks." Hermione willed herself to walk a normal pace to the restroom, although her whole body was telling her to run. As soon as she was out of veiw she bolted down the hallway, into the ladies room and into a stall, locking the door behind her. She quickly unfolded the note and watched as the words materialized before her eyes.  
  
Hermione -  
  
I will be leaving tonight and will not return for a week. My mother would like me home until after my 18th birthday. She will be taking over my potion making, don't worry she is very skilled at it. As you know, the Death Eaters usually give the Dark Mark on the recepiant's 18th, and surley they will be looking for me. Even with the Detraferance Potion, they still know that I am at Hogwarts, and with Dumbledore gone they are not afraid to come to Hogwarts to fetch me.  
  
My mother is having a ball to cover for my absence. No one on my father's side will know of it. When the Death Eaters discover that I am not at Hogwarts there will be a bit of an uproar, but by then Hogwarts will know their way of getting in and fixed it, and they will not be able to find the Manor, due to an ingenius cloaking spell my great grandmother created.  
  
I will be perfectly safe, if you care to know. I will return on Sunday next week, at around dinnertime. Tell no one that you know where I am. See you soon.  
  
- Draco Malfoy  
  
Hermione stared at ther letter, watching as the beautifully scripted letters melted away. Finally all that was left was his extensive signiture, which then vanished as well. Suddenly the paper caught fire, and Hermione tossed it aside. Soon all that remained was ashes.  
  
Hermione left the bathroom and walked over to the booth where her three friends sat, since Harry and Ron had come back. Taking a large gulp of butterbeer, she pretended to listen to Harry brag to Ginny about all his heroic Quidditch moves and his battles with Voldemort. As she scaned the room, she noticed that Draco was nowhere to be seen.

* * *

Hermione looked up her ceiling. It had been almost a week since Draco had left, and she couldn't concentrate. The night before she fell asleep in the library for the second time this week. The girls in her dorm laughed, and Ginny was worried about her, but she couldn't care less. Her mind was racing.  
  
When she entered the Great Hall that morning she made her way to Harry and Ron when she felt a strong hand on her shoulder.  
  
"Ms. Granger," Snape sneered. Hermione spun to face him. "There is a message waiting for you in the room just off the side of the great hall. Please follow me." Snape turned and walked off, with Hermione on his heels. He opened the door on the side wall of the hall and stepped back, allowing her to pass. As she entered the room the heavy wooden door slamed shut behind her.  
  
A beautiful woman sat in the chair before her. Smiling, she stood and approched Hermione. Her dress swayed slightly, and as she took Hermione's hand, Hermione finally realized who this woman reminded her of.  
  
"Its so nice to meet you, my dear." The woman said kindly. "My name is Narcissa Malfoy."

* * *

REVEIW!!!! :) 


	8. Scarlet fire

Draco gazed at the fire, watching as the flames danced in fireplace. His birthday was tomorow, and a most extravegant ball was planned. Everyone who was anyone was coming to see his "coming of age" and it promised to be a very expensive, very impressive affair. Yet for some reason he was dreading it.  
  
His mother had disappared, off to do some "important buisness" concerning the ball. The house elfs ran backa nd forth all day preparing. Draco had watched them for a while, but now he simply sipped his wine and stared at the flames, willing tomorow not to come. He wanted to stay 17 forever.  
  
A strange thought ocurred to the young Malfoy. As he sat here, in this vast house, he no longer felt that constant fear from his father that he had felt over all the years. The chill that always settled over the home was now replaced with a lonley warmth. With a house this large, it must have been terrible for his mother when Draco left for school and she was alone with his father. Even now he wondered how his mother felt when he left for school. As of tomorow the entire Malfoy estate would belong to him, including this house. He would be amazingly rich, powerfull, with everything in the world. 'Everything other then what you truly want.' A voice in his head argued.  
  
Draco snarled. He had promised himself that he would not think about the Gryffindor witch who had somehow managed to get under his skin and make him reveal things, things he hadn't even truly admitted to himself.  
  
A darkness fell over the room, creeping slowly out of the shadows. Draco looked to see if the fire was dimming, but the flames were as high as ever. Yet the darkness continued to come. He got to his feet, glancing wildly around the room. As quickly as he could, Draco reached up into the vase the rested on top of the mantle and grabbed a handfull of floo powder. Hoping against hope that his mother was near a fire place, he yelled out her name.  
  
"NARCISSA MALFOY"  
  
The flames burst into a brilliant scarlet. This was not a normal floo connection, but instead an emergency call. It would find the fire closest to the recipiant, who had to have the same family blood. Draco glanced around the room again, The shadows had enveloped everything, and were quickly creeping towards him from the walls, ceiling and floor. Praying that him mother could hear him, Draco thrust his head into the flames and delivered his final message. As the last, desperate word left his lips, he felt the darkness sink in, and everything went black.

* * *

"Checkmate." Ron declared proudly. A few of the Gryffindors that were watching the two play gave Ron a pat of the back or a thumbs up before returning to their meal. Above them a crowd of owls swooped in through the windows, each flying to their respective student. Hedwig landed right in front of Harry, knocking over the remaining chess peices and Ron's watergoblet. Ron picked them up while Harry untied the letter from her foot and pet her gently. The owl took off, once again knocking over Ron's watergoblet. This time Ron simply ignored it, more interested in Harry's letter.  
  
"Who's it from?" Ron leaned over the table to get a better look.  
  
"I don't know, it just says 'Harry Potter, Gryffindor table, Hogwarts, England.' I can't imagine who it would be from." Curiously Harry opened the letter and skimmed it, before re-reading it more slowly. And he read it again. And again.  
  
"Harry, what does it say?"  
  
"...It's from... It's from my father's parents." Harry looked up at his friend, shock filling his eyes. "They want to meet me."  
  
"What?!? Really? When?" Ron snatched the letter out of Harry's hands.  
  
"I don't know. They just said 'owl asap'."  
  
"Well what are we waiting for?" Ron laughed as he slapped Harry lightly on the back. Harry smiled wide. He was going to meet his family! The boys raced upstairs to the owlry, Harry's heart beating like mad.

* * *

Narcissa Malfoy gestured to a chair next to the fire. Hermione sat down, extreamly curious as to why she had this visitor. The graceful woman seemed to float as she retreaved a cup of tea for each of them. She handed a cup to Hermione before sitting down and twirling her spoon in her drink.  
  
After a moment Hermione's curiosity go the most of her. "Excuse me, Mrs. Malfoy, but why are you here? Did something happen to Draco?"  
  
Narcissa smiled slightly, but looked troubled. "Tell me, Hermione, what exactly is your relationship with my son?"  
  
Hermione was caught off guard. "Um.. I.."  
  
"I have heard him speak of you many times over the years, but never with any kindness, I am sure you understand. The two of you were great enemys as far as I knew. Now, however, his opinion seems to be different. He spoke of you once in passing, but it seemed he had no nasty remark for Mr. Potter's best friend. In fact, he even called you by your first name. I don't know of any other classmate he has ever refered to with their first name. Something obviously happened."  
  
"To tell you the truth, I don't really know what is going on with your son and me. We have always hated each other, and just recently..." Hermione gazed into the fire, lost in thought.  
  
"Do you care for my son? Would you risk your own safety to protect him?" Narcissa leaned forward slightly.  
  
Hermione opened her mouth to speak, but closed it again. Would she risk herself for Draco? She would for Ron and Harry, there was no question about that. But what she felt for the boys was pure friendship nothing more. Were her feelings for Draco more? "I... I belive I would. I don't really know why, but I would." Hermione watched as Narcissa looked down, obviously stressed. "Why are you asking me this?"  
  
"I came here hopeing to hear those words, and dreading having to say these. I need to you to stay away from my son." Whatever Hermione had expected her to say, this was not it. Narcissa took a deep breath and continued. "More important then anything right now is the survival of your friend, Mr. Potter. If you have to choose, I need you to promise me you will always choose Potter's safety over my son. Draco is dangerous. From now until we speak again he is not to be trusted, not for any reason. You need to hate him Hermione. You need to despise him with all that you are, and you need to be able to watch him die in front of you without flinching. No matter what I do, the Death Eaters will take him, I know it. There is no way to stop them. The only thing we can do is hope that Potter still has enough power in him to defeat the Dark Lord."  
  
"But Voldemort is dead! Dumbledore destroyed him!" Hermione couldn't belive what she was hearing.  
  
"Indeed, Lord Voldemort is gone, but his powers are not. The Dark Lord I speak of is not Voldemort, but my own son. Draco can fight all he wants and he will still become what the Death Eaters want him to be. When Voldemort returned he created a link between himself and my son. The moment my boy holds that black wand he will not be himself. He will be compleatly controlled by the Death Eaters. If Potter can not defeat him and distroy the wand, then my son will soon cease to exist, replaced by the hate and darkness of the Death Eaters. I need you to save him, but I need you to hate him. The next time you see him he will likely be under their control, and if it means killing my son to distory the monster inside of him, so be it."  
  
"If you are so intent on killing your son, then why not just do it now and get it over with?" Hermione was fuming. This woman was his mother!  
  
"Because if he dies now, only he would die. The darkness inside of him would find a new home, and the Death Eaters would continue their terror. But if he is defeated while he is possesed, not only will the last of the Dark Lord be distroyed, but all the Death Eaters will be as well. He will not be strong enough at the begining, so all the Death Eaters will pour their power into him. If he is defeated with all their power in him, they will lose all of their power, and likley their minds as well. This is the only way to end all of this. And there is a small chance that my son will live. Please, understand, this is the way it has to be. I love my son, and I would not wish this fate apon anyone. But I have no choice. Tomorow they will take him, and after that we have two weeks before he is at full power. You must take care of it now Ms. Granger."  
  
Before Hermione could respond, fireplace next to them erputed in scarlet flames. Nacissa jumped to her feet and ran to it, trusting her hand intot h flames. Suddenly a blonde head appeared. Hermione gasped when she saw the terror in the boy's eyes.  
  
"Mother! They're here! Warn McGonagall!" The boy looked behind him, terror filling his eyes.  
  
"Draco!" Hermione called out. The boy disappered, and the flames returned to their normal color. "Draco!" She screamed at the fireplace.  
  
"He can't hear you." Narcissa said quietly. "This was recoreded. They already took him." Narcissa looked back into the fire, a deep sadness filling her eyes. "They weren't supposed to take him until tomorow. I didn't even..." A single tear trailed its way down her cheek. Turning towards Hermione the woman wiped the tear away. "Where is the headmaster's office?"  
  
Wordlessly Hermione led her out of the room, quickly running through the now empty Great Hall. She led the woman to the gargoyale the stood as the enterance to the Headmaster's office. The staircase was already formed, and Hermione raced up it. Knocking rapidly on the office door, Hermione hoped the woman would be alone.  
  
McGonagall opened the door and looked at Hermione, puzzled. "Ms. Granger, what exactly is the meaning of-" McGonagall's eyes had come to rest on the tall woman behind Hermione. Wordlessly she nodded, and gestured for Narcissa to enter her office. Then she turned to Hermione, a stern look on her face. "Fetch Mr. Potter immedietly. He may be in grave danger."  
  
Hermione took off down the staircase, a million questions racing though her mind as she went in search of her best friend.

* * *

* * *

R&R! Love you all. Sorry it took so long to update. I fixed it, so you can send unsigned reveiws now. :)


	9. Owlry

"Narcissa, what is going on?" McGonagall created a chair for Narcissa to sit in, and drew out her own chair from behind the desk to sit across from her. Narcissa was shaking. "Nothing is supposed to happen until tomorow. I planned to talk to Mr. Potter at dinner and keep him here, in my office, overnight. Why are you here so early?"  
  
"I was here to warn the girl, Ms. Granger, away from my son for the moment. When he came home I realized the new affection for the girl, and became very worried. I can not have her willing to interupt this process to-" Narcissa swallowed. "To save Draco. My son sent me an emergency floo message while I was speaking with her. He had only enough time to tell me that they were in the Manor and that I must warn you. Oh Minerva!" Narcissa collasped into her chair, sudden sobs overtaking her. "He's my son! I have never been able to be there for him, not in his entire life!"  
  
McGonagall held the trembling woman, suprised by this sudden outbreak of emotion. "Now Narcissa, you have done everything you could for the boy. There is nothing any of us could have done for him at this point. This must happen, you know that." McGonagall lifted Narcissa's chin, looking her directly in the eye. "Draco is a strong boy. He will survive this. I know it."  
  
Narcissa nodded, choking back her sobs. "Now," McGonagall questioned. "how did the Death Eaters get into the Manor? With the Location Spell they should have never been able to find it."  
  
"You forget who my husband was. Of course his partners would know how to locate the Manor. I suspected such, and that is why I insisted on him being at my home at this time. This way, no one else could be hurt. But I didn't expect it today. I didn't even get to tell him... that I loved him. That I will fight for him."  
  
"Narcissa, my dear, he is your son. He knows." McGonagall stood and consulted the newest painting on the wall. "Albus, find Mrs. Granger and Mr. Potter please, as fast as you can. They need to come here immedietly."  
  
"Of course Minerva." Within a second the old man was gone.  
  
Minerva returned to the destressed woman by the fire. These were dangerous times, and she wished she had the real Dumbledore here. He would be able to put a stop to all of this.

* * *

Hermione bolted up the stairs to the Gryffindor common room. She entered the common room gasping for breath. Neville quickly got off the couch and walked up to her.  
  
"Hermione, are you alright? What happened?"  
  
"I'm really sorry Neville," Hermione gasped. "but I can't talk. I need to find Harry right away. It is extreamly important."  
  
"Um, Merlin Hermione, I havn't seen them, I'm sorry-"  
  
"I have!" Seamus chipped in. "I saw them go up to the owlry right as I was leaving the Great Hall, about five minetes ago. They should still be up there."  
  
"Thanks!" Hermione yelled over her shoulder as she ran out the portait door, leaving her friends to watch her back, wondering if those were tears they had seen in her eyes.  
  
"My, my, dear, in a rush, are we?" The Fat Lady called out after her. But Hermione was already on her way to the owlry, running on pure adrenaline, down, past the Great Hall, up another stair case, around a corner, down a hallway, and up a last flight of stairs. She tossed the door open and yelled for her friend.  
  
"HARRY!"  
  
But Hermione's voice caught in her throat when she saw what lay before her.  
  
In the middle of the room a desk, which was usually covered in parchment, quills, and wax, was knocked over, ink spreading over the floor. There was a large burn mark across the stone walls, the evidence of a stunning spell that was deflected. Feathers litered the ground, and Hermione's ears rang from the sound of the owls screatching. But what really made Hermione's heart skip a beat was the mark left on the far wall. Shinning in the morning sunlight, a large mess of liquid spread itself across the wall, speading upwards like thin fingers trying to crawl to the ceiling. It dripped slowly, leaving small, deep red pools on the floor.  
  
Blood.  
  
Hermione clutched at her thoat as her breath refused to come, and she couldn't even scream. She counted to ten, and she tried to gasp for oxygen, while her knees felt as though they could no longer support her weight. The heavy wooden door slammed shut behind her, and Hermione spun around. Finding her breath, she screamed.

* * *

"Minerva!" Dumbledore's painting called out. McGonagall rushed to the painting, leaving Narcissa by the fire. "Minerva, I can't find them. They aren't anywhere in the castle. I have all the painting seraching. Would they have gone into the forest? Or prehaps to Hagrids?"  
  
"I will send someone there immedietly, Albus. Are you quiet sure that you-"  
  
"Wait!" Dumbledore interupted. "I'll be right back." Once again the old man disappared, but he returned within seconds. "Minervea, this does not look good. They consulted the Merry Mermaids, who said they saw Mr. Potter and Mr. Weasley enter the owlry ten minetes ago, and Ms. Granger entered only five minetes ago. But none of them have left, and there is no sound coming from the owlry now. Yet apparently there was quite a racket only moments before and after Ms. Granger entered."  
  
"I'm on my way. Take care of Narcissa." McGonagall threw the door open and ran down the spiral staircase. Albus sighed, watching the poor woman who knelt before him. Even in his death Albus knew he would always be there to help young Harry, as well as all of his students, but now more then even he wished he could do so much more then sit here, trapped in a frame.

* * *

Draco felt strong hands grab his arms and force him to the ground. The grass was wet from rain and he slipped, splashing mud all up his front. The Death Eater laughed, tossing him into the mud. Draco groaned.  
  
"You always were weak. But we will make you strong. A leader we can count on. A leader we can control. And this time, the Potter boy will not be a problem." The Death Eater laughed, followed by the laughter of the men around him. Draco could barely see, pain burning in his veins and blurring his vision. All he could comprehend was black figures floating around the clearing, he couldn't tell how many. His breath was forced, and it burned his lungs. He didn't remember how many time they had preformed the Cruciatus Curse, only that he could no longer concentrate on a thought and move a muscle at the same time. He resorted to simply collapsing on the ground.  
  
A clear, relaxing voice entered his mind.  
  
_Draco... do you know who you are? Do you know how important you are? How could you let these men, these fools, punish you? Toss you in the dirt? This is wrong. You should punish them. You should control them. It is your place.  
_  
Draco felt himself nodding, agreeing with the voice which soothed his aching body.  
  
_Stand, Lord Draco, and take your position as our leader. As our master. Lead us. Punish the men who have brought you so much torment.  
_  
Draco slowly sat up, his arms finding strength he shouldn't have had. Some of the Death Eaters near him jumped and hurried away from him. Draco's vison began to clear.  
  
_Yes! Stand! Take your place! The pain will end, Lord. It will end and you will punish the ones who hurt you. All of them.  
_  
Draco forced himself to his feet and ripped off his robe in one smooth movement. Most of the Death Eaters backed away from him now, creating a semi-circle in the clearing. He wiped his face of on the robe, then tossed it aside. A mix of blood and mud covered his body, and he looked fearce. A single Death Eater stood apart from the others. He smiled at Draco, and bowed silently to him. The other Death Eaters followed his example.  
  
The death Eater produced a thin black wand from the folds of his robes. "It is time you take your place among us, Lord Draco."  
  
Draco nodded. _Yes indeed, it is time_. It was time for him to take his place as the Dark Lord. Reaching out, he grasped the black wand.

* * *

* * *

Wow, school sucks. I should not be having this much homework. Anyway, this chapter took me forever because I kept changeing it. Reveiw and I will update faster! The more reveiws I get the more happy I am about this story, and the more happy I am about the story, the more likely I will spend time thinking about it, which makes me write it down faster, which makes me update faster!

Reveiws lead to faster updating!

I LOVE YOU ALL!

-Shakendra


	10. Heros

A cold, dense fog swept in from the north. Magic folk everywhere felt the darkness setting in. Even Muggles began to return to their houses and lock their doors. There was no explanation for it, only that it just felt... wrong. The wizards and witches old enough to remember the time of Lord Voldemort trembled. This was not ordinary fog. This was the darkness that could only be conjured when pure evil was empowered. By the depth of it, it seemed that someone far more powerful than any Death Eater, possibly more so than the late Voldemort himself, was now in possession of the Black Wand. 

The Black Wand was one of the four artifacts of Voldemort. The other three had been a book, a ring, and a goblet. These three had been found and destroyed immediately for their threat to the wizarding world. All of the objects held a little of Voldemort's power, and hate, in them. Yet the Black Wand was never recovered. It was said that the Death Eaters kept it as a souvenir, since only Voldemort's heir could have tapped into its power. But now, as the wizarding world trembled in anticipation, it seemed that an heir had indeed been found.

* * *

There was a dull ache in her legs, and her arms refused to move. She felt numb everywhere. Her left temple ached terribly. Slowly taking in her surroundings, Hermione tried to remember what had happened. Last she remembered she was in the owlery... 

A figure laying across from her stirred. She jerked backwards in surprise and hit her head against a rock. She felt around her. She was lying on her side in the dirt, her hands tied behind her. A few feet away the figure stirred again, then another one. Hermione saw a flash of red hair.

"Ron? Harry?" she whispered.

The figure stopped moving, then turned to face where her voice came from. His eyes widened when they fell on her. "...Hermione?"

"Ron!" Hermione said, panicked. "Are you alright? Is that Harry? Is he okay? What the hell is going on? Where-"

"Hermione, breath," Ron tried to calm her.

Hermione swallowed and breathed deeply, letting it out slowly.

Ron continued. "Yes, we are alright, other then a few bruises. I think Harry is still waking up. As for what the hell is going on, I haven't a clue. Last thing I knew we were in the owlery and we got ambushed by a couple of Death Eaters. Harry put up a good fight, but they bashed him against the wall pretty bad. He was bleeding everywhere..."

"I know," Hermione whispered. "I saw the blood."

"He was alright though, it was just a lot of scratches and stuff..." Ron broke off.

The sound of footsteps came across the quiet night air. It sounded like a couple of people, all walking in unison. Hermione struggled against her bonds and tried to look up to see who they were. Finally three cloaked figures came into view. They walked right past her.

"Who are you!" she yelled. "What do you want with us!"

The figures stopped next to where Ron and Harry were lying, Simultaneously they all bent and grabbed Harry.

"No! Harry!" Ron yelled. "Let him go!"

The three started to walk away, Harry in tow.

"HARRY!"

* * *

Minerva raced back to her office, terrified. The students were not there, but the place reeked of Dark magic, and there was blood on the walls and the floor. She felt the fog that coated the sky, and knew it could mean only one thing. She just hoped it wasn't too late. 

She burst into her office and looked around the room. The painting of Dumbledore looked back at her apologetically. The room was empty. Narcissa was gone.

* * *

Draco felt the power rush through his veins. Yes, this is the way it is supposed to be. This is what he was born for. He could rule this world. He could control it. It was his to command, to bend to his every whim. 

He was a God.

Looking around him, he singled out the Death Eaters that had beaten him so badly before. Whispering the killing curse, all four fell to the ground, lifeless. Draco felt the rush, the incredible feeling that came with taking a life. He really was a god, with the power to control the fate of everyone around him. He turned to stare at the Death Eater that had given him a wand.

"Tell me who you are."

"My lord, I am called Morsmorde." Draco nodded. That was the name of the curse to conjure the Dark Mark. It was said that the man who would summon the Dark Lord would be called this. Everything was fitting exactly into place.

There was a disturbance at the back of the crowd. Two cloaked figures advanced, dragging a black haired man. Draco had almost expected this. Everything felt like it was something he had seen before, long ago... but that didn't matter now. The Death Eaters stopped short of Draco, bowing slightly, shoving the man roughly down at Draco's feet.

"Now is your time to prove yourself," Morsmorde proclaimed. "Now is the time to take your revenge. Enjoy it, my Lord."

Draco gazed at the man at his feet. For years this pathetic excuse for a wizard had been a dagger in his side. Now he could do anything he wanted. Sneering, he hovered over the man, waiting for him to move. The man spit blood at his feet then slowly raised his head.

"Why, hello Potter. What wonderful weather we are having, wouldn't you agree?"

"Please," Harry said, his face covered in blood and his lightning shaped scar glowing gently. "Please, don't do this. Please, Draco"  
"Oh, is it Draco now? All those years of Malfoy this, Malfoy that, I didn't know you really cared! Was this a secret crush?" Harry attempted to force himself to his feet, but Draco kicked him down again.

"Oh no, that wasn't you, was it? It was your little bitch! Oh the fun Granger and I had, those dark nights in the potions room..."

"Fuck you Malfoy!" Harry yelled. Draco laughed, tossing his head back, his dirt and blood stained hair whipping behind him.

"Got under your skin, have I? Doesn't it just kill you to know I'm not lying?"

"Shut the fuck up! Of course you're lying! You are such a fucking prick, you never deserved to live! Hermione wouldn't look twice at shit like you. In your sick dreams, you pathetic little fuck!"

Harry threw himself at Draco, knocking him to the ground. He was far stronger then Draco, and despite how terribly beaten he had been, he was still able to keep Draco pinned. Five Death Eaters ran to his assistance, pulling the struggling Gryffindor off of him. They proceeded to beat him, before Draco raised his hand and stopped them.

"No, I would like him to see something for himself. Restrain him. You-" he pointed at a nearby Death Eater. "Did they get the Granger bitch?" The Death Eater nodded. "Bring her to me, will you?"

A couple of Death Eaters headed off into the distance. Draco conjured up a throne and sat waiting. As an afterthought, he pointed the black wand at himself and mumbled a cleaning charm, casting the dirt and blood off of himself and fixing his clothes until he looked as primped as someone would expect the Prince of Darkness to be.

* * *

Hermione fiddled with Ron's ropes. After enough struggleing she had gotten her's loose and was franticly trying to relase her friend before the Death Eaters returned. 

"Come on! There're coming!" Ron hissed.

"I'm trying!" Hermione slipped her finger under a loop and pulled it free. His ropes fell in the dirt. "There! Lets get the hell out of here!" They stumbled to their feet and took off, tring to get as far away from there as possible. Suddenly Ron stopped, grabbed Hermone, and dove into the nearby bushes.

"What the hell?"

"Shut up!" Ron peaked out through the bushes. "Look, as much as I would love to run screaming and pissing my pants right now, our friend is over there." He pointed at the group of Death Eaters in the distance. "He wouldn't abandon us, and I won't abandon him."

"What the hell are we supposed to do? We should go get help!"

"And who is going to help us?" Muffled shouts came from the direction they had just run from. The Death Eaters had discovered their escape. "Look Hermione, we have no idea where we are. Even if we did figure that out and somehow get out of here, who is going to help us? Dumbledore is dead! McGonagall isn't much of a battle witch, and Lupin and the rest of the Order are spread across the continent! We need to do this ourselves."

Hermione gulped and nodded. Usually it was Harry that had the amazing rescue plans. Now it was just her and Ron, and they were about to take on the entire population of Death Eaters, along with a certain Dark Lord that Hermione had a soft spot for. "Why is it always us?"

Ron grinned half heartedly. "Somebody's got to be the hero."

"Well," Hermione sighed, "here goes nothing."

* * *

Hey! Yup, I did it! I did the most horrible thing you can do with a fanfic. I left it at a cliffhanger and took FOREVER to update. Sorry. Writer's block... no i was just busy. BUT! I love LOVE my reveiwers, andI want to thank ALL of you for reveiwing. You have no idea how much at means to see these reveiws. Well maybe you do. Then you should reveiw! I will be starting a couple more fics after this one, all containing Draco, although I think the next one is going to be Draco/Ginny, I don't know. We'll see. Well, love for now, I have to go work on the next chapter! 

Reveiw! Please?


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